Newcastle
Kings; Kings Island |nextto= Centreville, Westmark |nicknames= Little Tyneside, Gateway to Kings |language=English |hexacode=KI-SO-NC }} Newcastle is a small residential and fishing hamlet, located on the coast of state of Kings. Its name is derived from the English city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which is where many of the hamlet's initial colonists emigrated from. Due to its coastal location and proximity to the state of Sylvania, Newcastle has thrived over the years as a result of ferry connections and trade with Sylvania. Newcastle was founded in 1889 by Stephen Miller, a merchant from Newcastle, England who came to Lovia with thirty other colonists from his city. The community grew gradually over the years, and more people arrived from across the north of England. Newcastle then began to benefit from trade with other villages across Kings, due to growth of its fishing industry. In the early 20th century, Newcastle was at the forefront of anti-prohibiton activity, with conflict occuring in the hamlet between cartels and local residents. Modern day Newcastle is known as a quiet fishing village, and is famous for its seafood and quaint harbour. It is a popular destination for day trippers from Sylvania who take advantage of Newcastle's ferry links with several Sylvanian coastal villages, and the settlement's proximity to Connection Bridge. Etymology Newcastle's name comes from the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in northern England, which is where many of the town's early colonists emigrated from. Flag & seal History Early history and colonisation The area in which Newcastle now lies remained largely unexplored until 1889 when Stephen Miller, the town's founder arrived with thirty colonists from the English county of Northumberland with the aim of starting a small settlement in Kings in which they could fish and trade with other colonists in surrounding settlements. After sailing around Kings Island, Miller decided to land at the shores of what is now Newcastle. Miller and the other colonists decided to settle there, and built several small houses on the land surrounding the shore. The next year, Miller sailed back to England, leaving the rest of the settlement behind, so that he could return to Lovia with more settlers from his home country. This small wave of immigration helped the hamlet develop further, and led to the construction of the harbour, to facilitate the growth of Newcastle's fishing industries. At the same time, some of the hamlet's residents started to work on farms in Newcastle's surrounding countryside. Soon after Miller returned to Newcastle, the Short War broke out. Newcastle aligned itself with The Pale due to the fact that many of its key trade partners, such as Verland and Newhaven also sided with The Pale. The first marine link with Sylvania was created in 1909, when Gregory Lewis, a farmer from Newcastle, started offering a passenger service between Newcastle and the Sylvanian hamlet of Verland. This move mainly had positive implications for Newcastle's economy, as it led to better trade links with the rest of Lovia. A small wave of Dutch immigrants arrived in Newcastle from Verland in the few years after the ferry link was created. In 1915, Stephen Miller died at the age of 70, leaving his only daughter, Mary Miller, who was then only 23 years old, to run the town. Around that point, Newcastle's economy began to slump, with a decline in the hamlet's fishing and farming industries. Mary realised the benefits that tourism could bring to the hamlet, and in 1917 opened The Hexham Inn, which served hearty, fresh seafood in addition to offering accommodation to travelers passing through Newcastle. The Hexham Inn soon became a famous stopover on the route between Noble City and Newhaven, further boosting Newcastle's economy and trade links with other towns. For this reason, Mary Miller has been credited with reviving the hamlet's fortunes, to the extent that there is now a statue of her in the village square. Prohibition era In 1928, Prohibition laws were introduced across Lovia, which banned the sale and consumption of alcohol. Whilst The Hexham Inn managed to survive without selling alcohol due to its status as a hotel, several local pubs were forced to close. As a result, a group of angry Newcastlers, made up of both the now unemployed pub landlords, and their angry patrons marched to Newhaven and joined the famous Jones Cartel. Due to its strategic position between Noble City and Newhaven, the Jones Cartel began smuggling alcohol through Newcastle. In 1931, local police raided the home of a Jones Cartel member in Newcastle, where they found hundreds of bottles of hidden spirits, in what has become known as the Alnwick Avenue Raid Four Newcastlers were identified as the main suspects, and fleed to the Abby Highlands. Whilst one man returned a month later, the other three were never seen again. In the early 1930's an economic depression struck the state and many migrants arrived from Clymene and Seven looking for work. Many of the migrants were unable to find work, so many turned to transporting alcohol between Newcastle and Verland for the Jones Cartel, who in return offered them accommodation and a small wage. In 1932, a ship carrying many of these migrants and the alcohol they were transporting was captured by a merchant ship, resulting in a shoot-out between the crew of each ship. The cartel emerged victorious, and with their new found power in Newcastle, they began smuggling even more alcohol through Newcastle. The Miller Family tried to distance themselves between any conflict between the cartels and Newcastlers, but when Mary Miller's son, Roger, was fatally wounded by a member of the cartel, the family strongly opposed the cartels actions. Along with residents of the town, members of the Miller family guarded Newcastle's harbour from the Cartel's boats, and on numerous occasions tried to stop the Cartel's boats from docking, which led to more conflict between the two sides. On one occasion, Mary Miller famously put a gun to the head of a cartel leader and threatened to shot, and was shot in the leg by members of the Cartel. The Prohibition laws were repealed in 1937, and Mary Miller, who had come to be regarded as a hero by the townspeople, was given the honour of drinking the first alcoholic drink legally drunk in Newcastle since 1928. Mary chose to drink a whiskey sour, and as a result the drink is now known as a "Mary Miller" across the hamlet. 20th century In 1935, Princess Lucy, then Governor of Sylvania, put a tax on all non-Sylvanians living in Sylvania. As a result, many Newcastlers living in Eastern Sylvanian settlements such as Verland returned to Newcastle, giving the hamlet a small population increase, however the tax damaged Newcastle's relations with East Sylvania, which had long been its primary trading partner. The tax also damaged the hamlet's economy and trade links. Many residents gathered in the village square, protesting against the tax Newcastle's economic misfortunes became even more severe in 1940, when tariffs were eliminated between the states. The farming and fishing industries of Newcastle now had to compete with those of other states, leading to a decline in trade of fish and farm products. As a result, a group of fisherman, farmers, shopkeepers and residents of Newcastle, including Mary Miller and her son Richard, formed the Local Traders Association, which promised to support local industries by purchasing local fish and produce. The association still exists in the present day, and has supported several farms and shops in Newcastle. The Lovian trade boom that followed had positive effects on the hamlet's economy, and the Local Traders Association reworked their policy, meaning its members began to buy produce from other states, meanwhile encouraging consumers in Sylvania to buy products from Newcastle's farms and fisheries. This success was muted however, by the devastating famines that followed, leaving many farmers unemployed. Some of these farmers became fishermen, as Newcastle's economy had begun to rely on its fishing industry, however many more migrated to Noble City and Newhaven to look for work. By 1961, harvests had returned to normal but Newcastle's farming and fishing industries continued to decline due to the subsidies given to manufacturing and service based industries by Bairn Sawyer. Whilst this led to growth in Newcastle's service based businesses, including the Hexham Inn and cemented Newcastle's status as a key stopover between Noble City and Newhaven, it left many farmers and fishermen unemployed. However due to the end of Sawyerite subsidisation, Mary Miller, who was by then approaching old age, was forced to close down The Hexham Inn. This triggered a large fundraiser and petition to be started amongst the townspeople. Later in the 1970's, oil prices in Lovia began to skyrocket, and as a result many fishermen were unable to afford oil to power their boats. During the economic depression that followed, many fishermen marched to Noble City and led protests around the hamlet. Despite the economic woes of Newcastle, by 1977 enough funds had been raised by the townspeople to buy The Hexham Inn, which had become a symbol of the hamlet. The Lovian economy began to re-stabilise in the early 1980's, and in 1982 Mary Miller died at the age of 90. She was honoured by the townspeople, who decided to construct a statue of her in the village square, which remains there to this day. The first floor of the Hexham Inn was also converted into a small museum about the lives of Mary and her father Stephen, who founded the town. Newcastle's economy began to grow quickly in the late 1990's, due to the growth of its service industries and the end of high fuel prices. 21st century Economic growth continued into the early 21st century, however Newcastle's large ferry industry began to decline due to the construction of the Connection Bridge in 2008. Despite this, and the worldwide economic crisis, Newcastle's farming and fishing industries became more important sectors of the hamlet's economy, and continued to grow steadily. Geography Physical geography Newcastle is located on the south west coast of Kings Island, in the state of Kings, close to the village of Westmark. The settlement is also close to East Sylvania, and the Sylvanian hamlet of Verland, which has led to Newcastle being given the nickname, "Gateway to Kings". The hamlet is also close by the Abby Highlands, which is home to Lovia's highest point, Kings' Peak. This makes Newcastle an ideal base for hikers wanting to climb the mountain. Human geography Newcastle has a population of 410, and is home to a harbour, many houses, a church and a small primary school. There are also several shops and pubs in Newcastle, gathered around a village square. Highway 4, which links Clave Rock with Portland passes close by the settlement. Newcastle is also very close to Connection Bridge, which links Kings and Sylvania. Settlement map * *1 - Ponteland Street, after the town of Ponteland, Northumberland * *2 - Northumberland Street, after the English county of Northumberland Economy Newcastle's economy relies mainly on its fishing industry and strong trade links with other towns across Kings and Sylvania. Most of Newcastle's industry is based around its harbour and docks, although there are a few small dairy farms surrounding the hamlet. Tourism also has a big impact on the settlement's economy, due to its status as the closest town in Kings to Sylvania, as well as several ferry links with East Sylvania. Over the years, this status has made Newcastle a popular destination for Sylvanian day trippers, as well as tourists who pass through the hamlet on their way to bigger towns such as Newhaven and Portland. Much of Newcastle's tourism industry is centered around its harbour, which features a small ferry pier, as well as a pub and several shops. Demography Population The demography of Newcastle has rarely changed since the second half of the 20th century, when several waves of migrants arrived in the settlement from the United Kingdom and Sylvania. The current population of Newcastle is 410, of which the majority are of either British or Irish descent. The hamlet is also home to a small Dutch population, due to its proximity to the Dutch speaking hamlet of Verland. Religion The dominant religion in Newcastle since the hamlet's founding has been Anglicanism, however recent statistics suggest that there is a growing atheist population in the hamlet. A survey in 2010 showed that 45% of the population of Newcastle were Anglican, 43% of the population were Atheist or non-religious, 10% were Roman Catholic and the remaining 2% were either Muslim or Hindu. Language The main language of Newcastle is English, although there is a small minority of Dutch speakers in the hamlet. Whilst most of Newcastle's residents speak English in the Urban Lovian English dialect, some inflections from the Geordie dialect of northern England have remained. See also *Verland Category:Kings Category:Hamlet in Kings Category:Hamlet Category:Settlement Category:Current hamlet